Chairman of the Board of Directors of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, CON
By Our Reporter
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, CON, has affirmed that considering the superbly evolving designs, development and productive competence and reliability of the Abuja Furniture Production (AFP), the furniture subsidiary of Julius Berger, the company’s ever expanding clientele and happy customers are continuing to experience the company’s deliveries as a total and one-stop shop for top-end quality with regard to durable products and reliable after-sales services.
Speaking at the just concluded 2023 Lagos Design Week in Lekki, Lagos, weekend, the Julius Berger Chairman said, “I must say that AFP has been growing qualitatively stronger and progressively more innovative over the past decade. The clear difference between AFP products and service offerings in the market relative to others is, to be modest, like day and night with AFP as the undisputed leader of the furniture sector frontlines. I am very pleased, indeed, with AFP’s design and manufacturing quality which is driven by our group’s strong ideology of sustainability across board.“
The Chairman added; Today, I have come come to see for myself. The furniture are unique. The material selction are timeless. I am impressed by them all including the wood and stone products. “With AFP’s increasingly innovative and qualitative product and service offerings, customers in the furnishing and interior decor sector have continued to experience the Julius Berger brand as a total and most reliable bouquet of premium solutions.“
A regular visitor to AFP stands at various exhibitions and major stakeholder in the furniture production sector in Lagos, Akinbo Akin-Olugbade said, “AFP has no doubt grown progressively into a poster subsidiary of the Julius Berger Group’s signature of corporate and operational excellence with its unique and reliable supply of quality furniture products. Last year, the subsidiary was already the best. It stood out in products design. This year, it has come out far better.“ Continuing, Akin-Olugbade said the furniture range on display at the AFP stand at the Design Week Lagos Exhibition 2023 are “simply amazing and extraordinary,“ adding that “…to me, the verdict here is very simple…when it comes to construction and building, Julius Berger is still the standard; and when it comes to interiors, the Julius Berger-AFP is the standard,“ he declared further.
Another visitor and Chief Executive of TARD Engineering Limited, Adeniyi Oduola expressed a similar viewpoint. He said, “…the furniture pieces on display here are topnotch. I am totally amazed by the finishing. Yes, because you cannot have it all in one exhibition, what I have seen here has made me decide to visit AFP’s Abuja showroom to see more options and then book for supplies.“
Continuing, Adeniyi Oduola said, “For many decades previously, we only knew Julius Berger for ist excellent and durable construction of roads, bridges, airports, railways, dams and other enginerring infraructures. It is very exciting to now know and indeed see that the ever qualitative Julius Berger is also into this business of good furniture production and ancilary services.“
In a brief interview, the General Manager of AFP, Oliver Cohnen disclosed that the company has continued to ensure that sustainability is key to its furniture design, production and finishing adding that the deliberate policy makes the difference between its products and the competition. “AFP designs and produces quality furniture that balances function with aesthetics to create spaces that connect, invite and delight,“ the General Manager emphasised. Cohnen further said, “…we assess designs to understand what procurement sources, materials and methods of production are best to create a viable balance between environmental sustainability and customer satisfaction. For every furniture piece we produce and offer to the market, sustainability is a mandatory aspect of the design and production phase at AFP.“ Markus Reif from Julius Berger was also on the exhibition panel that sat on a conversation on sustainability during the event in Lekki, Lagos.
Among visitors to the stand were Olori Dr (Mrs) Elizabeth Ajibola of Ijare Isin Kingdom of Kwara State and a wood technologist, Engr Benson Okoh among several others.
The wide range of furniture products on display by AFP at the exhibition included inviting and soothing sitting rooms and bedroom spaces, an iconic and excellently wooded office space design (which a visitor described as “The Most Valuable Player“ of the Design Week Lagos 2023 Exhibition), a bespoke and fitted kitchen with an exquisite island, electronically adjustable office and private study desks and health-centric ergonomic chairs, etc.
Julius Berger-AFP staff at the event included, Stole Jochen, Ndifreke Ukochio, Norbert Kossman, Markus Reif, Alh. Ahmed Kaita, Shamsi Kazaure, George Mihali, Sandra Kyaan, Khadija Zarma, Glory Egharevba, Judith Chiemeke, Destiny Oziegbe and Mendal Roberts.
